It saddens me to see the great struggle young families navigate to find a comfortable home. It creates a sense of fear as I wonder if my family will be next. Families worry about not being able to have a roof over their heads. Which leads me to say that housing in Santa Barbara is overpriced for families living here. This impacts the economy, the community, and the job market as employees move out.
Those who are most affected by housing affordability are the middle class, since they make too much money to apply for low income housing support but not enough to afford the “inflation.” People fear if they will be able to continue to afford their homes. I have experienced this every time I witness my mom’s anxious face as she reads the letter that rent will once again increase.
However this overlooks the concept of supply and demand. If the demand for housing is high, there is no need to lower the cost of the supply (housing/rent). Due to the severe shortage of available inventory, the demand for housing in Santa Barbara remains and will continue to stay very high. This is keeping the market competitive.
And so, there must be an expansion of low-income housing to build safe, affordable homes our working families desperately need. By having the support of our county when it comes to lowering the cost, it ensures that a diverse mix of people and cultures are able to live here. This prevents Santa Barbara from becoming a city only accommodating the wealthy.
